Rose Bowl officials: Get to ‘ The Monster Tour’ Pasadena shows early

“Monster” fans are gearing up for a double dose of Rihanna and Eminem at the Rose Bowl this week, but city officials have warned concert goers and residents to plan ahead for large crowds and traffic.

The rapper and pop star will headline at the iconic stadium Thursday and Friday evening in the first leg of the three city “Monster Tour.” The concerts are the third and fourth of an unprecedented series of seven concerts this summer at the Rose Bowl. JAY Z and Beyonce played back-to-back shows Saturday and Sunday.

Officials encouraged ticket holders to arrive early for the show to avoid a traffic rush. Pre-concert festivities will begin with “Picnic in the Park” at 2 p.m., with live music, games and food outside the stadium gates. The concerts begin each day at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 6 p.m.

“There have been 15 million people who have come to Rose Bowl events since I’ve been here and I’ve never had one person complain to me that they got here too early,” Rose Bowl CEO and General Manager Darryl Dunn said. “The people I do hear from are the people who try to get here right before showtime and get here late. It’s hard, especially when you have a mid-week event.”

Dunn said the two Beyonce and JAY Z concerts were successful, but officials are making some slight changes to prepare for this second round of shows, which will have the added complications of weekday commuter traffic. Dunn said there will be more bus service from the Parsons parking lot for the “Monster Tour” shows and there will be a drop-off area in parking lot I for attendees who aren’t driving themselves to the show.

Parking in the stadium lots will be $10 cheaper for those who arrive before 4 p.m. Parking lots open at 1:30 p.m.

In addition, police discouraged concert goers from using standard routes to get to the shows, instead encouraging drivers to follow street signs.

“Please use guide maps, not GPS directions, to find the best routes into the Rose Bowl and available parking. GPS will direct thousands of people to the same access route resulting in heavy congestion,” officials said in a press release.

Rose Bowl officials will also post traffic updates on Twitter through @rosebowlstadium.

Residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the stadium are encouraged to plan accordingly and also to report any issues or incidents to the Rose Bowl resident event hotline at 626-397-4141.

“We are trying a full court press on communication and also keeping the city and the management informed as we see and identify issues that come up,” said Geoffrey Baum, president of the West Pasadena Residents Association. “(The Rose Bowl management) can’t respond if we don’t let them know what’s going on, so it’s very important for residents to note and report what is happening so that we can all work together in finding ways to minimize the impacts on the neighborhoods while allowing the Rose Bowl to have the terrific events that they are presenting to the public.”